A fruit vendor sells on Whittier Boulevard in East L.A.
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Andrew Lopez
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Boyle Heights Beat
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Topline:
Most recently, state Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo — whose jurisdiction includes unincorporated East L.A. — introduced a bill that seeks to explore whether cityhood, or incorporation, is possible. The bill, AB 2986, is moving forward, but not without opposition.
The backstory: It’s not uncommon for people to refer to East L.A. as the "City of East L.A." After all, L.A. culture is heavily influenced by East Los Angeles, a region that is home to the historic 1968 Walkouts and where iconic films like Blood In, Blood Out and Stand and Deliver took place. But East L.A., a region of nearly 120,000 who are mostly Latino, is not a city. There is no mayor or city council making decisions for East L.A. residents. That’s because East L.A. is an unincorporated community within the county of Los Angeles. Efforts to incorporate East L.A. into a city have failed in the past, with one of the latest attempts failing in 2012.
What's next: The seven members of the Senate Appropriations Committee will review the bill in August. The bill still needs to be voted on by the full legislature before heading to the governor’s desk for a signature or veto.
This story was originally published by Boyle Heights Beat on July 31, 2024, and is the first installment in a series on the efforts to explore East L.A. cityhood.
It’s not uncommon for people to refer to East L.A. as the "City of East L.A." After all, L.A. culture is heavily influenced by East Los Angeles, a region that is home to the historic 1968 Walkouts and where iconic films like Blood In, Blood Out and Stand and Deliver took place.
But East L.A., a region of nearly 120,000 who are mostly Latino, is not a city.
There is no mayor or city council making decisions for East L.A. residents. That’s because East L.A. is an unincorporated community within the county of Los Angeles.
The representative of East L.A. is county Supervisor Hilda Solis, whose district — in addition to East L.A. — includes portions of 20 other cities, as well as dozens of unincorporated communities and City of L.A. neighborhoods that encompass nearly 2 million residents. In East L.A., services like police, street maintenance, building and development, libraries and parks and recreation are deferred to the county.
Given the size of East L.A.’s population and its cultural significance, some residents would like to have more say when it comes to decision-making in the region. They want to know if East L.A. is getting an equitable share of county services. And, they’re calling on the county to be more transparent in how it spends on services across the region.
Efforts to incorporate East L.A. into a city have failed in the past, with one of the latest attempts failing in 2012 when the Local Agency Formation Commission for the County of Los Angeles found that the unincorporated area would not be able to financially sustain cityhood.
Most recently, state Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo — whose jurisdiction includes unincorporated East L.A. — introduced a bill to the state Legislature this spring that seeks to explore whether cityhood, or incorporation, is possible.
The bill, AB 2986, is moving forward, but not without opposition.
What is AB 2986?
The bill calls for a study exploring whether East L.A. has the tax base to be able to sustain itself as its own city or special district.
Introduced by Carrillo in March, the bill initially called for an 11-person task force — made up of stakeholders and residents appointed by the Local Agency Formation Commission for the County of Los Angeles (LAFCO) — to conduct this study. LAFCO, an independent agency that approves the formation of cities, in 2012 denied a proposed incorporation of East L.A.
Guadalupe Mural at La Milagrosa Market in East Los Angeles.
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Antonio Mejías-Rentas
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Boyle Heights Beat
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The bill, however, has since changed.
Now, instead of the LAFCO-appointed task force, the bill establishes the County of Los Angeles as the agency required to submit a feasibility study by March 2025 that analyzes if East L.A. has the fiscal viability to become a special district or city.
Carrillo has made it clear, the bill would not mandate cityhood. It would simply study the possibility of it.
“We want to see better representation,” Carrillo said at a community meeting in April. “I no longer want to hear what’s not feasible, I want to hear what’s possible.”
The bill, as it stands, would cost the county an estimated $14 million, according to a letter from L.A. County Chief Executive Officer Fesia Davenport.
Why did the bill change?
The bill changed after a number of amendments were made at a July 3 hearing of the state senate local government committee. The bill moved forward, as amended, with a 5-0 vote.
These amendments reflect language from two motions that Solis spearheaded and that the rest of the county supervisors unanimously approved in April and May. With these proposals, Solis, who opposes Carrillo’s bill, is saying the county can do this work without overreach from the state.
Wendy Carrillo and Kristie Hernandez at the listening session.
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Andrew Lopez
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Boyle Heights Beat
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Now, the proposed bill mandates the county to conduct the feasibility study, as well as give annual reports detailing services and investments in unincorporated communities with populations of over 10,000. The county would also produce campaigns informing unincorporated area residents about county services, projects and programs.
The latest developments have spurred confusion among some residents who are unsure what this means for the proposed legislation.
Some say the bill was “gutted,” after the LAFCO-established task force — which was to meet quarterly and incorporate “robust community engagement” — was removed to instead appoint the county to prepare the study.
Particularly confusing is the fact that both Solis and Carrillo have touted the amendments as a win, even as the supervisor continues to oppose the legislation.
Solis said that the latest version of the bill, rejects the original language, and reaffirms the bill is “duplicative, fundamentally flawed, and expensive.”
Carrillo, however, said she made these amendments as a way to hold county officials accountable. She told the Beat that the attention brought to the bill ultimately benefits the residents of East L.A., no matter who leads the study.
Who favors this bill?
Supporters of the bill include advocates calling for more transparency on tax revenue generated by the community. They’re also asking if an equitable share of county services are funneled back to East L.A.
Kristie Hernandez, a longtime community organizer and East L.A. resident, supports Carrillo’s efforts and said investments in the community should reflect the fact that the region is the largest unincorporated area in California. Hernandez said residents also have a hard time navigating county bureaucracy.
Business owners like Tony DeMarco gathered at Carrillo’s listening session in April in support of her bill. DeMarco stressed the need for more economic stimulation along Whittier Boulevard.
Other supporters include the East L.A. Coalition, Maravilla Community Advisory Committee, Los Angeles Lowrider Alliance and the Whittier Blvd Merchant Association of East Los Angeles, among others.
If her bill passes, Carrillo said it signals that “the state has invested in having the county report to the Legislature.”
“It starts off a process of real transparency and real local community voices being part of the process,” Carrillo said.
Who opposes it?
Solis and her office have been quick to publicly oppose the bill, noting that cityhood efforts have failed in the past. The supervisor has pointed to the LAFCO study that projected a massive deficit, concluding that the East L.A. area would not be able to adequately support services like a police force and fire department, things the county already provides.
Some East LA residents held signs voicing their opposition to the bill.
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Andrew Lopez
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Boyle Heights Beat
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LAFCO opposes Carrillo’s bill, according to its chief officer Paul Novak.
“We remain opposed to the bill, even in its amended version,” Novak told the Beat.
East Area Progressive Democrats representatives called the bill a “slapdash effort” in a letter addressed to the state Senate. They said the money to fund the study should instead go directly to residents.
Others in East L.A. fear a loss of community services and that their taxes could be raised if cityhood happens down the line. Some have shared those concerns on Solis’s Instagram page and during public comment during a County Board of Supervisors meeting in April.
Among other opponents of the bill are East L.A. Community Corporation, the City of Monterey Park, and dozens of other county, union and grassroots groups.
What happens next?
The seven members of the Senate Appropriations Committee will review the bill in August. The bill still needs to be voted on by the full legislature before heading to the governor’s desk for a signature or veto.
If the governor signs the bill, the county would be required to report its findings by March of 2025. If it fails, the county will still conduct its proposed cityhood feasibility study and report on county investments in East Los Angeles with results to be shared in the early fall.
At a community meeting on Saturday, July 27, Genesis Coronado, a renter in East L.A. said that even if the bill fails, it still spurred conversations about government transparency and holding elected officials accountable, things she marked as a win for all East L.A. residents.
CBS News said Friday it will shut down its storied radio news service after nearly 100 years of operation, ending an era and blaming challenging economic times as the world moves on to digital sources and podcasts.
CBS Radio history: When it went on the air in September 1927, the service was the precursor to the entire network, giving a youthful William S. Paley a start in the business. Famed broadcaster Edward R. Murrow's rooftop reports during the Nazi bombing of London during World War II kept Americans listening anxiously.
Today, CBS News Radio provides material to an estimated 700 stations across the country and is known best for its top-of-the-hour news roundups. The service will end on May 22, the network said Friday.
Cuts are part of larger layoff: It was unclear how many people will lose their jobs because of the radio shutdown. CBS News was cutting about 6% of its workforce, or more than 60 people, on Friday. It's not the end of turmoil at the network, as parent company Paramount Global is likely to absorb CNN as part of its announced purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery.
NEW YORK — CBS News said Friday it will shut down its storied radio news service after nearly 100 years of operation, ending an era and blaming challenging economic times as the world moves on to digital sources and podcasts. Said longtime CBS News anchor Dan Rather: "It's another piece of America that is gone."
When it went on the air in September 1927, the service was the precursor to the entire network, giving a youthful William S. Paley a start in the business. Famed broadcaster Edward R. Murrow's rooftop reports during the Nazi bombing of London during World War II kept Americans listening anxiously.
Today, CBS News Radio provides material to an estimated 700 stations across the country and is known best for its top-of-the-hour news roundups. The service will end on May 22, the network said Friday.
The CBS Broadcast Center on 57th Street in New York on April 20, 2023.
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Ted Shaffrey
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AP
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"Radio is woven into the fabric of CBS News and that's always going to be part of our history," CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss said in delivering the news to the staff. "I want you to know that we did everything we could, including before I joined the company, to try and find a viable solution to sustain the radio operation."
But with the radical changes in the media industry, she said, "we just could not find a way to make that possible."
Not the first radio cuts at CBS
CBS News cut some of its radio programming late last year, including its "Weekend Roundup" and "World News Roundup Late Edition," in an attempt to keep the service going.
It was unclear how many people will lose their jobs because of the radio shutdown. CBS News was cutting about 6% of its workforce, or more than 60 people, on Friday. It's not the end of turmoil at the network, as parent company Paramount Global is likely to absorb CNN as part of its announced purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery.
"Given the way things are going, I was saddened but I wasn't surprised by it," said Rather, who succeeded network legend Walter Cronkite in 1981 and anchored for 25 years.
When Rather covered the civil rights era for CBS News during the 1960s, he said he would file reports as frequently as a dozen times a day. Cronkite told America on television that President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated; Rather relayed the news for radio.
"Radio was considered an equal responsibility to television," Rather, now 94, said in an interview.
Along with newspapers, radio was the dominant medium in how Americans got their news from shortly after the dawn of commercial radio in 1920 through the 1940s, with people in their living rooms listening to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's "Fireside Chats" during the Depression. CBS News Radio's broadcast about Germany's invasion of Austria in 1938, the first time Murrow was heard on the air, was an historic marker for the service.
Edward R. Murrow, a CBS correspondent who made his name from the front lines of World War II and from confronting Sen. Joseph McCarthy during the 1950s Red Scare, during a speaking engagement.
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Washington State University/The Columbian
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AP
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Broadcasters like Douglas Edwards, Dallas Townsend and Christopher Glenn were familiar voices on CBS News Radio. The beginning of the television era in the 1950s began a long slide for radio, often an afterthought today with the world online and on phones. Those seeking audio often turn to podcasts before radio.
"This is another part of the landscape that has fallen off into the sea," said Michael Harrison, publisher of Talkers, a trade publication for radio talk shows. "It's a shame. It's a loss for the country and for the industry."
A major radio player for many decades
CBS News Radio was a major force for generations of Americans. "Its heyday spanned decades," Harrison said. "It was quality on every level. It sounded good. Its coverage was as objective as possible within the realm of human nature. Its resources were extensive. It had a very high trust factor that was considered the standard of the day."
The front page of CBS News' website did not immediately carry news of the demise.
Weiss, founder of the Free Press website and without broadcast news experience before being hired by CBS parent Paramount's new management, has quickly become a headline-maker and polarizing figure in journalism. She held a "60 Minutes" story critical of President Donald Trump's deportation policy from being broadcast for a month and has critics watching to see if she's moving the network in a Trump-friendly direction.
Addressing her staff in January, three months into her job as CBS News boss, she invoked Cronkite's name as a symbol of old thinking and said that if the network continues with its current strategy, "we're toast." She announced the hiring of 18 new contributors and said CBS News needs to do stories that will "surprise and provoke — including inside our own newsroom."
Copyright 2026 NPR
Cato Hernández
covers important issues that affect the everyday lives of Southern Californians.
Published March 20, 2026 4:34 PM
Prices for gas at an Exxon gas station.
Topline:
Gas prices are draining wallets right now. The spike is hitting Southern California especially hard, so how can you save money at the pump? We looked into it.
Why now: Gas prices are rising because of the U.S.’s war in Iran, but our state is feeling it more than others. California’s switch to the summer blend of gas is here, which is more expensive to make, and we’ve got those high gas taxes.
Avoid expensive gas: You can save by avoiding convenience. Stations in busy areas, like downtowns or by freeways, like to charge more. Even the layout and positioning on the street corner can impact the price.
Make your tank last: Caring for your car in between fill-ups is another to cut down your costs. That can look like keeping your tires properly inflated and making sure the trunk isn’t too heavy.
Read on … to see where to find top 10 lists for cheap gas near you.
Drivers know it really, really sucks to get gas right now.
California is (unfortunately) leading the nation in this gas surge, according to the American Automobile Association, which tracks fuel price trends.
And with prices in Southern California hovering around $5.75 (and beyond) — just for regular-grade fuel — it can feel like almost every station is trying to compete for the most notoriously priced gas.
What gives? And more importantly, how can you save on gas right now? We looked into it.
Why is our gas so expensive?
Prices at the pump have been skyrocketing since the start of the U.S. war in Iran last month because oil shipments are being bottlenecked along the Strait of Hormuz, a key supply route in the Middle East.
California feels this pain especially hard as the state imports a decent chunk of its oil from the region. Plus, that’s happening at the same time the state is doing its annual switch to the summer blend of fuel. So both of those things, coupled with our high gas tax, means the spike hits us hard.
If you zero in more to hubs like Los Angeles and Orange County, it gets worse. Kandace Redd, a spokesperson for AAA, said that’s tied to gas stations’ higher rent, wages and operating costs.
“That is often passed on to the drivers,” she said. “ So simply put, the higher the cost of living, the higher the price you’re likely to pay at the pump.”
Some relief could be on the way, but it’s unclear when that could happen.
How to save at the pump
Don’t wait to fill up
During normal times, one subtle way you could save would be to fill up on certain days of the week. This is because California is one of the states that shows a predictable pattern at the pump, called price-cycling.
According to a GasBuddy study that analyzed weekly price changes, they found that the best day to get gas in California was Sunday, and the worst Tuesday. But that’s when things are relatively stable.
“During periods of rapidly rising prices … prices tend to keep increasing, not decrease, so filling up sooner is often best,” Redd said.
So if you know you need gas, don’t try waiting a few days for prices to drop until the situation changes. L.A.’s average gas price jumped 30 cents over the last week.
If you have a AAA membership, the mobile app also shows cheap gas nearby.
Avoid stations in certain areas
If you want to pay less, stay away from stations in popular areas, like airports, tourist hubs or freeways. Neighborhoods with fewer gas stations can cost you more money, so finding a place that’s ripe with competition can also be better for your wallet.
Even position on the street corner matters. Redd said gas stations can charge more when they’re on a side with heavier traffic or when they’re more accessible.
“ Stations that are easier for drivers to enter, fill up and exit often attract more customers and may even charge a little bit more than that,” she said.
Stretch your gas tank by taking care of your car
You can save on gas beyond the pump, Redd said, by managing how your car is using fuel. For example, combining your trips or avoiding stop-and-go traffic times can cut down on consumption. It’s all about how you care for and use your car:
Reduce your load. That means clear out that trunk and take off that top rack when it’s not in use. When your car is heavier, it burns fuel faster to account for the load.
Maintain your vehicle. If you can afford it, keep the check engine light off and your tires properly inflated. This can help make sure you're using gas at your car’s intended rate. Underinflated tires are more resistant to movement, which can reduce the miles per gallon you get.
Watch your speed. Your car uses more gas at higher speeds, so you really want to be sure to also avoid any sort of hard acceleration. If your car has an economy mode, that could also help by making your car run more efficiently.
Turn off your engine when your car is parked or stopped for a long period of time. Blasting the air conditioning can also impact gas usage, though it’s a smaller margin.
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An aerial view of Lake Shasta and the dam in Shasta County, on May 9, 2024. On this date, the reservoir storage was 4,380,600 acre-feet (AF), 96% of the total capacity.
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Sara Nevis
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California Department of Water Resources
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Topline:
A record-baking heat wave is scalding California, with major consequences for the state’s most important reservoir: its snowpack. Providing about a third of the state’s water supply, the Sierra Nevada snowpack is a vital source of spring and summer runoff that refills reservoirs when the state needs the water most.
Why it matters: A warm wet storm followed February’s snow, and now, March temperatures are shattering records — prompting warnings of rapid snowmelt and swift rivers. Historically, the snowpack is at its deepest in April. But climate change is shifting runoff earlier, leaving less water trickling down the mountains in warmer months for homes, farms, fish, hydropower and forests. This year’s snowpack is rapidly approaching the worst five on record for April 1st, state climatologist Michael Anderson said — and it’s likely to worsen still as temperatures climb. From early to mid-March, the snowpack has been disappearing at a rate of roughly 1% per day.
Smaller snowpack leaves a gap: Even as California suffers record heat and early snowmelt, the state is better prepared than in the past. Major reservoirs are already above historic averages, and early season storms soaked the soil beneath the snowpack, making it less likely to swallow the runoff. But the season’s early melt may still leave a gap. “It's going to get us through this year just fine,” Johnson said. “But it's not as ideal as having that additional snow reservoir ready to run off through summer, and replenish what we're going to be releasing.”
A record-baking heat wave is scalding California, with major consequences for the state’s most important reservoir: its snowpack.
Providing about a third of the state’s water supply, the Sierra Nevada snowpack is a vital source of spring and summer runoff that refills reservoirs when the state needs the water most.
But a warm wet storm followed February’s snow, and now, March temperatures are shattering records — prompting warnings of rapid snowmelt and swift rivers.
“In an ideal world, you'd have your reservoir full right now, and this additional huge snowpack reservoir that we know will help replenish and provide more water supply,” said Levi Johnson, operations manager for the Central Valley Project, the massive federal water system that funnels northern California river water to the Central Valley and parts of the Bay Area.
This year, he said, “we're not going to have that.”
It’s not yet the worst snowpack on record: that distinction belongs to 2015, when then-Gov. Jerry Brown stood on brown, barren slopes of the Sierra Nevada to watch scientists measure the most meager snowpack in history.
But this year’s snowpack is rapidly approaching the worst five on record for April 1st, state climatologist Michael Anderson said — and it’s likely to worsen still as temperatures climb. From early to mid-March, the snowpack has been disappearing at a rate of roughly 1% per day.
It’s a sharp departure from the near-average conditions of last year, and presents both a challenge and a glimpse of the future for reservoir operators in the state.
Conflicting roles for reservoirs
Many of California’s reservoirs serve a dual role: stoppering flood flows and storing water for drier times ahead.
Those roles sometimes conflict — as they did at Lake Mendocino, which dried to a mud puddle during the 2012–16 drought. Rigid federal operating rules forced the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to release vital water supplies from the dam to make room for winter floods that didn’t come.
The dire water shortages that followed spurred an experimental partnership called Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations, between the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego’s Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes and state, federal and local agencies.
The program incorporates advanced forecasting and weather observations into reservoir release decisions at Lake Mendocino. It prevented the reservoir from going dry during the most recent drought, according to Don Seymour, deputy director of engineering at Sonoma Water, which co-manages the reservoir.
Now, 165 miles away in the Sierra Foothills, Yuba Water Agency is eyeing adopting the same program for New Bullards Bar, a reservoir roughly eight times bigger than Lake Mendocino that’s fed by Sierra snowmelt on the North Yuba River.
The reservoir supplies water to more than 60,000 acres of farmland in Yuba County as well as users south of the Delta. But early snowmelt is complicating efforts to store that water.
“We're seeing snowmelt conditions in mid-March that we normally don't see until at least mid-May,” said general manager Willie Whittlesey. “It's pretty obvious that this is the runoff — this is the snowmelt — and it's just happening about two months early.”
But when snowmelt arrives early, the agency can’t catch it once the reservoir reaches a certain level — even when no storms are in the immediate forecast. Federal rules require Yuba Water to maintain a certain amount of empty space until June to absorb potential floodwaters, according to Whittlesey.
Yuba Water is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to update this decades-old rulebook, Whittlesey said, but until then it must request special permission to store the extra water.
Though the agency has received permission in the past, this year it’s also contending with a rupture in a major pipe to one of its hydropower facilities, which is forcing the agency to hold back more water behind the dam.
Whittlesey said he suspects that the combination of flood-control requirements and damage control after the pipe failure is likely costing them tens of thousands of acre-feet of snowmelt.
The California Department of Water Resources, which manages Lake Oroville — the state’s second-largest reservoir — told CalMatters that it’s storing water beyond its normal flood control limits, with permission from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
In the Bay Area, the East Bay Municipal Utility District, California’s second-largest urban water supplier, owns and operates the Camanche and Pardee reservoirs in the Central Sierra foothills.
“We're working to save every drop in light of the warm temperatures that we are experiencing now, and in light of all the zeros that we are seeing in terms of a rain or snow forecast,” said spokesperson Andrea Pook. “The last time that we had run off this early was in 2015.”
Pook said the district is releasing less water from its reservoirs now, in order to preserve more for the fall when salmon migrate upriver to spawn.
“We're tracking to not necessarily be in a drought situation. But I am not convinced that we're going to fill our reservoirs by July 1st, which is our usual goal,” Pook said.
Improved forecasts after a major miss
Even as California suffers record heat and early snowmelt, the state is better prepared than in the past.
Five years ago, state forecasters badly missed their runoff predictions — overestimating the snowmelt expected to refill reservoirs by up to 68%. Dry soils and a parched atmosphere drank up the runoff before it could flow into storage. Farms and cities scrambled in the middle of a drought as supplies fell far short of expectations.
This year is different. Major reservoirs are already above historic averages, and early season storms soaked the soil beneath the snowpack, making it less likely to swallow the runoff.
The state has also been working on better forecasts.
“Things have substantially improved,” said Andrew Schwartz, Director of UC Berkeley’s Central Sierra Snow Laboratory, in an email to CalMatters.
Johnson, at the federal Central Valley Project, said that the state and federal water delivery systems are in a better spot than five years ago, and that forecasts haven’t made a major miss since.
But the season’s early melt may still leave a gap.
“It's going to get us through this year just fine,” Johnson said. “But it's not as ideal as having that additional snow reservoir ready to run off through summer, and replenish what we're going to be releasing.”
Improved snowpack modeling and soil moisture estimates, experimental temperature measurements at different snow depths, university collaborations and incorporating weather outlooks are helping, according to the Department of Water Resources.
Still, between state budget shortfalls and federal cuts, challenges remain, Anderson said.
Efforts to install more soil moisture sensors in national forests have run into permitting slowdowns at the U.S. Forest Service, which has shed thousands of employees under President Donald Trump.
“You wait in line a lot longer,” Anderson said. “That's been the biggest limitation of late. There just isn't anybody there.”
The fasting period for millions of Muslims ends this weekend with Eid al-Fitr — the “festival of breaking the fast” — marking the end of Ramadan.
Topline:
The fasting period for millions of Muslims ends this weekend with Eid al-Fitr — the “festival of breaking the fast” — marking the end of Ramadan.
What to expect: The holiday, which lasts three days, centers on prayer, charity and time spent with family and community. And with it comes a wave of joyful celebrations, feasts and family events. Across Los Angeles, that spirit is reflected in a range of events.
Read on... from Eid-themed picnics in Ladera Heights to comedy shows in Westlake to a 5K run through Boyle Heights, here are some of the best ways to commemorate the end of Ramadan.
The fasting period for millions of Muslims ends this weekend with Eid al-Fitr — the “festival of breaking the fast” — marking the end of Ramadan.
The holiday, which lasts three days, centers on prayer, charity and time spent with family and community.
And with it comes a wave of joyful celebrations, feasts and family events.
These gatherings arrive after a stretch of difficult years marked by global conflict, including wars in Iran, Gaza, Lebanon and Sudan, and many other ongoing conflicts worldwide.
For many, those events have cast a shadow over recent Ramadans, making the spirit of the holy month feel harder to fully hold onto, especially for those watching the violence unfold from afar.
Still, Eid offers a moment of grounding, with events showing how that sense of togetherness endures — a chance to gather with loved ones, give thanks and find meaning in community.
And across Los Angeles, that spirit is reflected in a range of events. From Eid-themed picnics in Ladera Heights to comedy shows in Westlake to a 5K run through Boyle Heights, here are some of the best ways to commemorate the end of Ramadan.
Chand Raat Mela at Islamic Center of South Bay–LA
South Bay 25816 Walnut St. Lomita Date: Thursday, March 19 Time: 6 to 11 p.m. More info here.
Grab some food, browse outfits and jewelry, get your mehndi (henna) done and soak up the pre‑Eid buzz with families from all over.
Prayer at Masjid Umar Ibn Al Khattab
Exposition Park 1025 W Exposition Blvd, Los Angeles Date: Friday, March 20, Time: 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. More info here.
Join a packed Eid congregation across from USC, with early‑morning prayer, and complimentary coffee, tea and snacks such as donuts, cookies, sandwiches, nachos and hot dogs.
Prayer at Masjid Al-Zahra
Southeast LA 8152 Seville Ave, South Gate Date: Friday, March 20 Time: 7:30 am More info here.
Masjid Al-Zahra is offering prayers followed by a breakfast.
Prayer at the Islamic Center of Southern California
Koreatown 434 S. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles Date: Friday, March 20 Time: Take beerat at 7 a.m. with prayer at 7:30 a.m.; Take beerat at 9 a.m. with prayer at 9:30 a.m. More info here.
Mark a historic Eid as Islamic Center of Southern California (ICSC) hosts prayers at its Vermont Avenue campus, offering multiple morning prayer times and easy access to Koreatown eats afterward.
Eid Picnic at Kenneth Hahn
Ladera Heights 4100 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles Date: Friday, March 20 Time: 2 to 7 p.m. More info here.
Join the fun with BBQ on the grill, kids getting soaked in water games, and friendly basketball and soccer showdowns.
Eid in the City at Ladera Park
Ladera Heights 6027 Ladera Park Ave., Los Angeles Date: Friday, March 20 Time: 3 p.m. More info here.
Pack a blanket, round up the crew and hang out at this potluck in the park.
Wellness as Resistance at InnerCity
Boyle Heights 3467 Whittier Blvd., Los Angeles Date: Friday, March 20 Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. More info here.
Gaby Alcala from Luminous Body Therapy is offering a free, grounding community sound bath at InnerCity Struggle’s Youth and Community Center.
Nowruz 2026
Highland Park 5541 York Blvd., Los Angeles Date: Friday, March 20 Time: 7 p.m. More info here.
Celebrate the arrival of spring with Nowruz, the Persian New Year, featuring live Persian music.
“Beetlejuice” at the Pantages
Hollywood 6233 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles Date: Friday, March 20 to Sunday, March 22 Time: Various More info here.
The cult‑favorite musical adaptation of “Beetlejuice” delivers big spectacle, singalong moments right on Hollywood Boulevard.
Immanuel Wilkins at Blue Note
Hollywood 6372 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles Date: Friday, March 20 to Sunday, March 22 Time: Various More info here.
Saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins brings cutting‑edge jazz to Blue Note for an ideal date night.
Beautify your community
East LA 4025 City Terrace Drive, Los Angeles Date: Saturday, March 21 Time: 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. More info here.
Connect with your neighbors at a street cleanup hosted by Visión City Terrace and the Maravilla Community Advisory Committee at City Terrace Library.
Goats & Totes
Westside 8840 National Blvd., Culver City Date: Saturday, March 21 Time: 11 a.m.More info here.
Take the family to meet and pet some goats at Ivy Station.
DOLORES at Plaza de la Raza
Lincoln Heights 3540 N. Mission Road, Los Angeles Date: Saturday, March 21 Time: 3 p.m. More info here.
Explore the legacy of Dolores Huerta with a screening, art exhibit, opening reception and panel conversation at the Plaza de la Raza Boathouse Gallery as part of a special exhibition on view through April 12, 2026.
Andrew Callaghan at The Wiltern
Westlake 3790 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles Date: Saturday, March 21 Time: 7:30 p.m. More info here.
Andrew Callaghan brings his popular “Channel 5” world to the stage for a one‑night carnival of live bits, interviews and typically internet-native chaos.
“Vertigo” in Concert with the LA Phil
Downtown 111 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012 Date: Saturday, March 21 Time: 8 p.m. More info here.
See Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” on the big screen while the LA Phil performs Bernard Herrmann’s iconic score live at Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Beautify your community
East LA 2609 E. Cesar E. Chavez Ave., Los Angeles Date: Sunday, March 22 Time: 7:30 a.m. More info here.
Join Healing in Spanglish and Acurrúcame Cafe for a 5K run or 2-mile walk through Boyle Heights. Stay for the post-run cafecito. The first 50 cars will get access to free parking at 345 N. Fickett St.
Dorsey High School Eid Al‑Fitr Festival 2026
Crenshaw 3537 Farmdale Ave., Los Angeles Date: Sunday, March 22 Time: 12 to 4 p.m. More info here.
Spend the afternoon roaming food stalls, checking out vendors and just hanging out. Adults pay a small entry fee, kids get in free.
Butterfly Pavilion
Exposition Park 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles Date: Sunday, March 22 Time: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. More info here.
Starting Sunday, you can take the kids to walk among hundreds of beautiful butterflies at the Natural History Museum. Reservations are required. The pavilion runs through the summer.
New Horizon School Eid Breakfast
San Gabriel Valley 651 N. Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena Date: Monday, March 30 Time: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. More info here.
Roll up with the family for a laid‑back breakfast, kids’ activities and plenty of time to catch up with friends between coffee refills.
